JCC I got a dog

Adorable little guy!

 

What's supposed to be the point of crate training? We kept our puppy in a crate, and every single night she would whine and want to be let out to sleep with us instead. I kinda get the feeling that doing this just gave her a ton of problems with anxiety and compulsive behavior.

 

I don't know entirely. I think so they get to like being in there and can go to the vet or groomers better... But neither my dog nor my parents' dog ever liked their crate so I don't get it.

 

It’s supposed to be part of training your dog to be emotionally independent. We both work from home and are concerned about independence particularly- but I’ve never had a dog that was properly crate trained / enjoyed being alone in a crate. It’s a problem I’m sure lots of YouTube videos will solve.

 

Belated congrats! Puppies are great

 

My goodness! So sweet!

 

Congratulations! Moses is a cutie. He looks like he might have a bit of shepherd in the mix.

Crate training has a number of benefits besides being useful in getting dogs to and from vet appointments or traveling in general. Dogs do not like to relieve themselves in what they consider their "bed" so a crate was an awesome tool for me in housebreaking new additions. It helps them learn how to hold their bladder. It can be very time consuming and you have to use a dedicated schedule as puppies cannot be expected to hold their bladder for more than several hours.

Some dogs find crates to be a comforting space where they can go and just relax. My oldest Doberman hated fireworks, thunder, etc and would go to the crate or crawl under a blanket draped over my legs. Their crates were always set up with blankets and toys in them so they could "escape" large gatherings or visiting children whenever they wanted. At night they slept out of their crates on huge dog beds in my room.

It comes in handy if you ever have to board your dog or evacuate to a shelter during a natural disaster.

I had a female GSD and two female Dobermans at one time. The GSD and the older Doberman took to crate training like naturals. Positive reinforcement obedience training works wonders. My youngest Doberman had major anxiety issues and no matter what I tried she never wanted anything to do with it. The crate worked really well for me when my older girls were spayed. It kept them calm when they first came home and prevented the others from getting too rough or trying to nose around stitches. I actually took my GSD to work with me for a day after she got fixed. She slept right in her crate for most of the day with no issues.

Crate training helped me set definite routines during training and for meal times.

My dad rescued a young female mix from a shelter earlier this year. She had horrible manners and my dad has to leave for medical appointments frequently, It took me several weeks of working with her but I got her to willingly enter a crate so he could leave the house without worrying she'd destroy everything while he was gone. He lives alone and wanted the companionship but not the stress of destructive behavior. Starting with the crate helped me incorporate other basic obedience issues she needed work on.

I have seen some crate training sites claim that the crate can be used for correction but I would avoid that entirely. The worst thing to do is use a crate for punishment. It should be a welcome, comforting spot, not negative confinement. Locking a dog in the crate as punishment is not effective. Dogs have to be caught in the act, for any reprimand to register. (If general you leave a dog uncrated and it pees on the floor but you don't catch it til 4 hours later, the dog isn't going to understand why you are yelling or shoving it into a crate) Once the dog gets used to the crate being used at other times, for other reasons, it's not going to work as a deterrent. Dogs don't grasp the meaning of punishment anyway.

Redirection works best. If during play a puppy tries to play bite I would say something quick and loud like "ouch" and remove your hand from its reach- not stick it in a crate alone for 5 minutes. A friend of mine used an empty coke can with pennies in it to get the dog's attention and redirect it to more appropriate things like a chew toy or bone.

Oh my gosh, I am sorry for the novel. I have just had a very positive experience with crate training and wanted to share. Every dog is different. I wish you good luck with the little guy!

 

I just saw this thanks for the tips @wobbits

Moses and Jack are happy

 

They are both adorable.